


How the Gang Handles Your Autism

by Yelhsabeech



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Autism, Creepy Micah, Crushes, Doing Their Best, Fluff, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Bad At Tagging, Other, Reader is harmless, Reader-Insert, Stimming, Understanding, mild though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:00:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25928548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yelhsabeech/pseuds/Yelhsabeech
Summary: Title is pretty self-explanatory. Reader has autism and this is how various members of the gang interact with reader.
Relationships: Arthur Morgan/Reader, Charles Smith (Red Dead Redemption)/Reader, Dutch van der Linde/Reader, Hosea Matthews/Reader, Javier Escuella/Reader, John Marston/Reader, Karen Jones/Reader, Kieran Duffy/Reader, Leonard "Lenny" Summers/Reader, Mary-Beth Gaskill/Reader, Micah Bell/Reader, Sadie Adler/Reader, Sean MacGuire/Reader, Susan Grimshaw/Reader, Tilly Jackson/Reader
Comments: 26
Kudos: 145





	How the Gang Handles Your Autism

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is actually my first G rated fic! 
> 
> I do want to make the disclaimer that I am NOT autistic, but I AM neuro-divergent with stimming behaviors. If I get something wrong please feel free to *nicely* correct and educate me!

**Miss Grimshaw**

  * Miss Grimshaw has a soft spot for you, it may be because you’re the hardest worker in the camp besides her and Arthur Morgan. You are constantly on your feet, in fact she has to remind you to eat and drink. 
  * They found you pretty soon after they settled in Horseshoe Overlook, and even though you didn’t know everyone’s names yet, you won her approval when you immediately went right to work gathering herbs to restock their medical supplies. You make sure everyone has at least one health tonic and one stamina tonic at all times. 
  * Can’t stand to see you cry; actually cannot stand it. When Micah snuck up behind you and began touching you inappropriately until you had a meltdown, he was kicked out of the camp for three weeks because she got very, _very_ close to killing him; like wrestling the rifle out of her hand close.
  * Was initially super frustrated by how you dress. Often you added or subtracted clothing based on your sensory limit, so that meant most of the time you went without shoes or a petticoat. But as long as your *ahem* honor wasn’t compromised she learned it wasn’t a battle worth fighting. 
  * Just as protective of you as she is the other girls in the camp, and she’s one of the few people you will let get close enough to touch you. 



**Charles**

  * You don’t speak much, but Charles doesn’t mind at all; it just teaches him that whatever you have to say is always worth hearing. He actually likes it; you and him can spend hours sitting together in a comfortable silence, without saying a word. It’s a peaceful change from the constant chatter of camp. 
  * He calls you little bird affectionately, because of how often you hum to yourself. Also music never fails to bring a smile to your face. 
  * Charles started developing a crush on you after a job ended in a tussle, and he lost the feather in his hair in the fight. You shyly walked up to him and handed him a beautiful hawk feather, and scurried away before he could say thank you. 
  * Charles was one of the first people to realize that you werent dumb at all, you just processed your surroundings in a way that was completely different than everyone else’s. It made you interesting and special. 
  * He can sense better than anyone when you're becoming overwhelmed or close to a meltdown. One of your biggest triggers is having to move camps, the chaos in fleeing one campsite and setting up another often gives you sensory overload. There isn’t much he can do, but he will do his best to make sure you feel safe. 



**Arthur**

  * Thinks you are probably the gentlest soul he has ever encountered. You will drop everything to help someone or something in pain. You once spent over four weeks mending a bird's broken wing 
  * Learned you have a way with animals, almost like a sixth sense. You once quietly said animals are better than people and he never agreed with a statement more. 
  * Will fight tooth and nail to keep you from going out on a job. He thinks you are far too sweet and gentle for this life, and wants to preserve that innocence as long as he can. 
  * Is low-key competing with Charles for your affection. He knows that when you're really happy, your hands start flapping because you just can’t contain your excitement. He’ll give you presents just to see it because he thinks it’s the cutest thing ever. 
  * Has gotten really good at interpreting your mood based on your stims. He knows you're nervous when you play with your hair or hug yourself, or that you’re angry when you pace. 



**Hosea**

  * Hosea loved you almost at first sight, you’re like the daughter he never had. You have him wrapped around your finger. 
  * Admires your extensive knowledge on herbs and medicines. He considered himself well learned, but you managed to teach him several things. 
  * He finds your social awkwardness hopelessly endearing, when someone executes a social cue you don’t understand, you cock your head in confusion and it never ceases to make him chuckle.
  * Most likely to humor your antics, aside from Jack. One day you spent hours making flower crowns for everyone in camp, and he wore his all day. 
  * Has the most luck teaching you new skills. Very patient, willing to demonstrate and practice something with you over and over. It makes it all the more satisfying when you finally get it. 



**Javier**

  * Javier was the first person to figure out you can play the guitar. He saw you watching him play and he handed his guitar to you thinking you wanted to hold it. The whole camp came to a standstill when you started playing it beautifully! When you finished everyone applauded and you got so embarrassed you hid in your tent for over an hour. 
  * You shyly asked him to teach you Spanish words and he is secretly flattered with how seriously you take your lessons. You even write the words down!
  * Doesn’t really understand autism, so he talks to you slowly and kind of loudly. He never does it with malicious intent. 
  * Was sort of perturbed at first by your lack of eye contact at first, but as he got to know you he realized that was just...something you don’t do. 



**Abigail**

  * Abigail mothers you almost as much as she mothers Jack. She’s determined that if her and John ever leave the gang you’re coming with them. 
  * Somehow always know exactly what to do when you have a meltdown, whether it's the deep pressure of a hug, or a place to be alone to calm down.
  * Loves seeing you giggle or laugh. You don’t do it often but when you do it seems to light up the whole camp.
  * Jack loves you too; whenever Abigail needs a break, you and Jack are more than happy to play knights and princesses, or make card houses for a few hours. 



**Mary-Beth**

  * Mary-Beth tries the hardest to understand you. Often when you engage in stimming behavior she will quietly ask if it makes you feel better, and encourages your explanations.
  * She is in awe of how quickly you can get through a book. What takes her a week to read you can get through in an afternoon, then waits impatiently for her to finish so you can ask her about it. 
  * Mary-Beth is probably the one you speak the most to. You bonded over your shared love of reading; and her inherent kindness drew you to her like a moth to a flame. 
  * Patient. There for you on days when the activity of the camp is too much and you're trailing after her like a little duckling



**Dutch**

  * You...you confuse Dutch sometimes. You say things without any fear, and he isn’t sure if it's from insolence or because you just don’t know better. 
  * He loves hearing your poetry. Your poems about love in particular invokes powerful imagery and makes him feel things he would typically keep buried. 
  * Thinks you are the perfect ruse when the job calls for it. Will recruit you to be the lost damsel in distress, or the frail daughter in a scam because something about you screams harmless. 
  * He initially wanted to drop you off at the nearest doctor office and leave you there. It wasn’t until he saw you snuggling The Count, a horse that NOONE can touch, that he decided you could stay. 
  * You don’t notice when he stares just a little too long at you as you go about the camp. He won’t admit it, but he finds your youth and meekness very appealing. This makes you a target for Molly’s bullying.



**Sean**

  * Sean was convinced that you hated him at first, because you made yourself scarce when he was around. When someone finally told him he was just too damn loud, he adjusted his volume and you started sticking around. 
  * If you ever need to take time for yourself, Sean is always there with a great distraction so you can slip out unnoticed. 
  * Does not understand your stimming at all. When you gently rock yourself, or wring your hands he was always commenting on it until Karen slapped him and told him it was rude.



**Karen**

  * Karen was suspicious of you at first. She didn’t trust someone who was so quiet, and nice at the same time. She thought you thought you were better than everyone else until you brewed tea to help with her cramps during that time of the month.
  * Now Karen is protective of you. You’ve quickly become like a little sister to her. 
  * Loves scandalizing you. Will regale you with stories of her adventures that will leave your jaw hanging. 
  * Got you drunk once. And only once. 2/10 would not try again.



**Micah**

  * Micah hates you. Mostly because he’s a hateful person. 
  * Won’t admit it, but he’s jealous that when he joined the gang everyone hated/still hate him but when you joined people love you.
  * Thinks you’re making up your special needs for attention. Even though you still do more chores than he ever did. 
  * Has been trying to tell Dutch that you’re a liability, and that you’re not useful since you don’t commit that many crimes. 
  * You refuse to be alone with him, but that doesn’t stop him from leering and making disgusting remarks even though he learned not to touch you. 



**Sadie**

  * You tap into a maternal instinct that she didn’t even know she had. She worries about you probably more than anyone else in camp. 
  * Wants to protect you, but also thinks it’s important that you’re able to protect yourself. She’s been trying to teach you shooting, which is slow going because the noise of gunfire makes you jumpy. 
  * Taught you the basics of hunting, before the gang you mostly foraged or did work in exchange for food. 
  * When she first joined the gang and hardly ever spoke, you were there to sit in silence with her. 



**Tilly**

  * Always trying to feed you, thinks you're too skinny. Which is fair, because some days food bothers you and Pearson isn’t exactly accommodating to special requests for meals. 
  * Likes to ask you what your favorite color is, because it frequently changes depending on the day and your mood. If you say yellow, it’s gonna be a good day. 
  * Thought you were crazy and avoided you at first. Also thought you were a liability because you're basically defenseless. 
  * You won her heart when you gave her the biggest hug after Arthur and Miss Grimshaw saved her from her old gang. 



**John**

  * John well… John tolerates you. Wouldn’t call you best friends, but certainly didn’t hate you as much as he hated Micah. 
  * Likes how good you are with Jack, he wishes it was that easy for him to talk and play with his boy. 
  * He doesn’t think it’s actually possible for you to get angry. He’s never seen you so much as raise your voice. 



**Kieran**

  * You and Kieran bonded over your shared love of horses. He considers you one of his first friends in the gang.
  * When he was tied up you often snuck him your food when you had days where textures bothered you too much to eat. 
  * Actually has the occasional nightmare about what would happen if someone as awful as Colm O’Driscoll managed to get a hold of you. 
  * He doesn’t mind that you don’t like eye-contact. He doesn’t either. 



**Lenny**

  * Lenny doesn’t get a chance to interact with you much, he thinks you’re real pretty but your paths don’t cross often. 
  * Never minded you much, especially when he noticed how much smoother the camp ran with you working like a bee all the time.
  * Can always tell when you’re the one that brewed coffee for the camp that morning. You’re the only one that adds a sprig of vanilla to it. 



**Author's Note:**

> So this was just a little brain bunny I had that would NOT get out of my head! I feel much better now that it's written. 
> 
> I hoped you liked it! Kudos and comments are always treasured <3


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